Style and substance: 7 notebooks to make your co-workers jealous

These notebooks that look stylish but they aren't especially friendly on your wallet

[[artnid: 205816|Apple MacBook Air]]

Even die-hard Apple haters can't help but be impressed by the design of the MacBook Air: a 13.3in ultraportable notebook with a body that's less than 2cm thick. Apple has still managed to pack a 1.8GHz dual-core Intel CPU in the Air, as well as 2GB of RAM. By default it comes with a conventional (spinning) hard drive, which only has 120GB of storage. You're looking at $1999 to pick up the base model of the Air, though you can shell out $2399 and grab yourself a notebook with a 2.13GHz CPU and a 128GB SSD.

[[artnid: 313859 |Sony VAIO VGNP15GG]]

Sony's VAIO VGNP15GG notebook is very small and extremely sexy. The company claims the VAIO VGNP15GG is the world's lightest notebook, weighing just 594g — that's less than a 1kg bag of, um, anything. Its display is small but impressive (though it has a slightly unusual resolution of 1600x768). If you're eager to void your warranty you can crack this ultraportable open and check out the 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 CPU, 2GB of DDR2 RAM and 64GB SSD. The size of the Sony VAIO VGNP15GG means you can slip it (at least part way) into a pocket — at least, according to the promotional images released by Sony. Sadly its small size probably makes it a little impractical for everyday work computing. Sony's discontinued this particular P series model, but you still might be able to pick one up — and hopefully, for less than the $2099 it originally cost.

[[artnid: 309018|Apple MacBook Pro]]

The notebooks in Apple's MacBook Pro range have a well-deserved reputation for being beautifully designed and well engineered. In 2008, Apple introduced the aluminium "unibody" enclosure — the notebooks' chassis are crafted from a single block of aluminium — which means that not only does the MacBook Pro look nice, but it's also extremely sturdy. The top-of-the-range 15in model comes with a 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 4GB of DDR2 RAM and a 500GB hard drive, as well as fast 802.11n Wi-Fi, so it's definitely no slouch. Sadly, you're going to have to shell out $2999 to pick it up. You can also pick up the smaller [[artnid:309069|13in MacBook Pro]] if you want something smaller to cart around with you.

Dell Adamo XPS

If you've got $2499 you'll be able to order the Adamo XPS from Dell "before the holidays". It's a mere 9.99mm thick, which according to Dell makes it the thinnest laptop in the world. The Dell Adamo XPS is equipped with 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 128GB SSD and a 13.4in high-definition screen. It's also got an odd-looking design that we're looking forward to having a closer look at once it hits the PC World Test Centre.

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[[artnid: 299321 | Toshiba R600 (PPR61A-00400R)]]

Toshiba's R600 (PPR61A-00400R) is one of the best ultraportable notebooks to have passed through our Test Centre — so naturally it scored an Editor's Choice award. This 12.1in notebook weighs a ridiculously light 950g and its magnesium body is extremely strong. On the inside it has a dual-core Intel CPU, 3GB of RAM and a 120GB SSD. Be prepared to fork out $3740. Ouch.

[[artnid:304859|Dell Adamo 13]]

The Dell Adamo 13 (Admire) beats even the MacBook Air when it comes to packing notebook components into a slim body. It measures just 16mm at the thickest part of its chassis! Our review unit had the hefty price tag of $3699, and we were impressed by the design but not by the slightly under-powered CPU. However now you can pick up the "Admire" model with a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 CPU, 2GB of DDR3 RAM and a 128GB SSD for just $1999.

If money is no object, then you're obviously not working in journalism. But if your wallet is bulging and you aren't planning on blowing your cash on over-priced pints from North Sydney pubs, then you might be interested in the following seven notebooks, all of which are sure to glean jealous glances from your co-workers.

[[artnid: 325086|HP Envy 13]]

Naturally, we should start with the HP Envy 13: a 13.1 notebook that features an extremely strong magnesium alloy and aluminium chassis. Despite its diminutive size — it's only 2cm thick and weighs just 1.7kg — it's packed with high-powered components. These include an Intel Core 2 Duo L9600 CPU, 3GB of DDR3 RAM, a 160GB solid-state drive (SSD) and two graphics cards (one is less powerful than the other and will help your battery last longer). It looks pretty and it performed impressively in our benchmarks, but it comes with a hefty price tag of $3799. We were a bit unhappy with some aspects of the Envy 13, including the lack of built-in Gigabit Ethernet (you get a USB-Ethernet dongle instead) and 3G connectivity.

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